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Green Dominates GovEnergy Palette

WASHINGTON – A record crowd packed the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence this week for the annual GovEnergy conference, co-sponsored by the U.S. General Services Administration.

The goal of GovEnergy 2009 was twofold: Reduce the government’s use of energy and associated costs, and help move the nation to a new energy economy.

“President Obama has made it clear that reducing energy consumption and creating a new energy economy are fundamental foundations of America’s lasting prosperity,” said Anthony E. Costa, Acting Commissioner for GSA’s Public Buildings Service. “GSA is leading this effort, so GovEnergy 2009 couldn’t have come at a better time to help us share ideas, best practices, tools, and techniques.”

The federal government is the country’s single largest energy user. The conference, now in its 12th year, is held to help government agencies reduce energy usage and promote increased investment in clean energy sources.

More than 3,000 federal, state, and local energy managers and industry specialists from around the country attended the three-day event, which ended yesterday. They received information about new technologies, recent green legislation and energy conservation best practices. GSA co-sponsored the conference, along with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Departments of Defense, Energy, Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security.

A highlight of the conference was an opening keynote address by Greensburg, Kansas Mayor Bob Dixon, who described his town’s efforts to rebuild as the “greenest city in America” after it was destroyed by a tornado two years ago.

GSA officials at the conference shared information on doing green business with the government, GSA’s projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and the benefits of sustainable building design.

Nearly 200 vendors were on hand on the exhibit floor, showcasing new technologies to help government agencies in their green efforts, such as LED streetlights and waterless urinals. At the GSA booth, for example, staffers demonstrated advanced energy meters and analysis software that can track power usage in real time, which will enable agencies to not only track the electricity they are using, but also take steps toward reducing power consumption.

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GSA provides a centralized delivery system of products and services to the federal government, leveraging its enormous buying power to get the best value for taxpayers.

Founded in 1949, GSA manages more than 11 percent of the government’s total procurement dollars and $24 billion in federal assets, including 8,600 government-owned or leased buildings and 213,000 vehicles.

GSA helps preserve our past and define our future, as a steward of more than 480 historic properties, and as manager of USA.gov, the official portal to federal government information and services.

Did You Know? GSA recently marked a major milestone by awarding more than $1 billion in federal building investments as part of its $5.5 billion in Recovery Act projects. The bulk of these projects are focused on converting federal facilities to high-performance green buildings.